Essentials by the Dozen - U2 in 12 Tracks

With respect to U2, if you’ve ever made statements worthy of a solid facepalm, such as “I think we can all agree that U2 is the most overrated band of all time”, or found yourself listening in on some conversation that had you asking “I guess Songs of Innocence is not horrible per se, but why does everyone give so much undeserved praise to these guys?”, then this next list should serve as a good starting point if you wish to expand your knowledge on one of rock’s most famous groups.

[NOTE: This list is not a definite top 12 of U2’s all-time greatest songs. Rather, it should be viewed as a strong collection in their catalogue that would essentially allow to have an efficient overview of their entire career. As a U2 fan myself, I also firmly believe that you should at the very least know every single one of these songs if you ever wish to debate the brilliance of their music. If at the moment you do not, RELAX, SIT BACK & ENJOY THE MAGIC OF ROCK.]

1. I Will Follow (1980)

Whereas lead singer Bono and bass guitarist Adam Clayton were both twenty years old at the time of this single’s release, lead guitarist The Edge was one year younger, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. was still eighteen. It was the second single off their first album Boy and was written by Bono in honour of his mother who died tragically a few years prior. The arena rock potential of the band was already made apparent through “I Will Follow”, as was Bono’s expressive vocals and The Edge’s unusually distinct guitar sound that made use of both delay and picking. For most die-hard U2 fans, their most interesting period could be found here, with the advent of post-punk, for their sound at the time felt like a prodigious eruption of something that had never been witnessed by the masses before. “I Will Follow” still sounds as fresh now as it did back then, for even if today was the very first time the song was to be released, I would undoubtedly freak out.

Great Line:

“A boy tries hard to be a man

His mother takes him by his hand

If he stops to think, he starts to cry

Oh why?”

2. Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983)

I personally cannot think of any other war song that most makes my hair erect in fear as does “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, and at so many various moments throughout the track. Although the opening percussion makes certain of the soldierly essence of the song, it is that escalating screeching noise (supposedly an electric violin) that warns of something much more horrid than anticipated. On “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, U2 sings of the long-lasting horrors witnessed by the Northern Irish during the conflict of the Troubles. It’s truly one of the most frightening songs I’ve ever come across, and amongst its many heart-sinking moments, I think of that guitar sequence that breaks out immediately after Bono shouts “Come get some!”; I think of Bono who repeats “I’ll wipe your tears away”, his voice increasing with ardor each time; I think of the line “The real battle just begun to claim the victory Jesus won”. This tune is a masterpiece.

Great Line:

“And the battle’s just begun

There’s many lost but, tell me, who has won?

The trench is dug within our hearts

And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart!”

3. Seconds (1983)

One reason people tend to dismiss U2 as the most overrated band of all time most likely lies in the fact that the group still thinks themselves relevant today. There is an episode of South Park I highly recommend to those who enjoy crude humour, in which Bono is depicted as quite literally being a “giant piece of crap”, and I think the episode’s premise can give a relatively decent idea as to how tiresome the singer seems to many people in the 21st century. However, if one were to remove the last twenty years of U2’s existence, I’m almost certain nobody would complain of the praise these guys are given. Take “Seconds” for example, a substantial achievement in U2’s catalog that is not spoken of enough. It’s one thing to record everlasting hits, but I cannot stress enough how much it’s the lesser-known gems (lesser-known to those who complain about them) added to those hits that makes an artist like U2 deserve the recognition they receive.

Great Line:

“Takes a second to say goodbye

Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh

Push the button and pull the plug

Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh”

4. The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

U2’s fourth album served as a huge shift in musical direction for the band who wished to explore more of an ambient sound through the art rock subgenre. The title track is a prime example that displays the very specific aura felt throughout the album and remains a favourite to many listeners who grew up with U2 in the 80’s. In 1985, the group performed at the Montreal Forum for the first time, and my uncle (fourteen at the time and the middle child of three brothers) was in charge of purchasing the tickets. Not knowing where to go, he arrived a little shy of the time at which the tickets went on sale and waited by the Forum’s side gate next to which a security guard told my uncle he would be granted access to the ticket booth once the moment had come. Once the gates were unlatched, mu uncle casually walked alone towards the booth, believing himself to be the sole customer. It was only seconds later, via the progressive shrieks of hundreds of running fans behind him, that my uncle realized he had fortunately not been granted access to the building through the main doors (slightly further out) like everyone else but rather a closer entrance, and so he began running for his life towards the booth. Shaken, hyperventilating and the first one to arrive at the booth, he bought the floor-seat tickets, and to this day, the concert is repeatedly claimed by all three brothers to be amongst the most “unforgettable experiences of their life”.

Great Line:

“Stay this time, stay tonight in a lie

I’m only asking, but I, I think you know

Come on, take me away”

5. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (1987)

I believe this song to be U2’s sonic masterpiece. All elements of the tune blend so flawlessly, or as Bono states in the song — I’m paraphrasing — all the colors bleed into one. The lyrics are majestic and so superbly delivered by one of arena rock’s most prominent frontmen, The Edge’s guitar chimes at its best, the drumming pattern is incredibly innovative, and the song’s content of struggling to find one’s place feels relatable beyond compare. Released off The Joshua Tree, considered by many to be (interchangeably with Achtung Baby) the band’s magnum opus, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is arguably the very peak of the album, though there are so many more gems one can discover on it as well. How Rolling Stone magazine (which honestly produces some of the worst rankings I’ve ever come across in my life) recently bumped The Joshua Tree out of the top 100 albums of all time (considering some of its other choices) is absolutely hilarious to me and proof that such a publication should never be taken seriously by any genuine music lover.

Great Line:

“I believe in the kingdom come

Then all the colors will bleed into one

Bleed into one…

But yes, I’m still running!”

6. Red Hill Mining Town (1987)

Speaking of the many lesser-known gems to discover on The Joshua Tree, “Red Hill Mining Town” is my personal favourite. It was my personal favourite when I first discovered it as a teenager and still is to this very day, ten years later. Am I biased because the song forever reminds me of those early mornings in April when I would ride the bus to school at fifteen years old at a time during which, on top of the Montreal blizzards disappearing and the snow finally melting, the sky was turning a clearer blue and the temperature becoming inviting once more? No. It is a buoyant triumph, regardless. Don’t believe me? Go listen for yourself, and while you’re at it, explore the remainder of the album as well if this track impresses you as much as it does me.

Great Line:

“I’m hanging on

You’re all that’s left to hold on to

I’m still waiting”

7. Angel of Harlem (1988)

For the longest time, culminating with the previously released Joshua Tree, U2 struggled with a dual identity, split between their homeland in Ireland and their newfound love for the United States. They quickly embraced both, and “Angel of Harlem” serves as a hymn to the late great Billie Holiday, all the while referencing various locations of the city of New York which the band members adored. This is a soulful track that feels both engaging and very disparate with respect to all songs that had been released via The Joshua Tree but one year prior.

Great Line:

“Soul love, this love won’t let me go

So long, angel of Harlem”

8. The Fly (1991)

Although the band still produced some brilliant music after the release of their album Achtung Baby, I believe this to be their last distinguished effort which allowed to elevate their artistry over every single other band out there, an impressive feat they held for nearly ten years. After their wild successful genre switch to alternative rock with Achtung Baby, the rise of grunge, Britpop, and indie rock pretty much dethroned U2 of the “Biggest band” title, which is not to say, once again, that their creativity was entirely reduced to nothing. That being clarified, their creative peak seemed to have hit with this album, and “The Fly” should serve as an excellent demonstration to remind listeners that these four were once capable of entering a new decade with an entirely new sound and remain extremely relevant, nonetheless.

Great Line:

“Love, we shine like a burning star

We’re falling from the sky

A man will rise

A man will fall

From the sheer face of love

Like a fly from a wall

It’s no secret at all”

9. Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World (1991)

Similar to “Red Hill Mining Town” found on The Joshua Tree, “Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World” is amongst the lesser-known gems that can be discovered on Achtung Baby, which I previously mentioned as being (interchangeably with The Joshua Tree) U2’s magnum opus. It’s a simple song with a highly memorable chorus that can run ten times as long in length, and my body would still be completely immersed in its sound. While I personally always had a soft spot for The Joshua Tree, most of my friends much preferred the darker sounds of Achtung Baby, which I can totally understand. What I can’t understand is including neither of the two albums in the list of top 100 albums of all time yet including Red from Taylor Swift and TWO Beyoncé albums. For the love of Christ, Rolling Stone magazine… For all bona fide music lovers out there, enough with these nonsense rankings. Just enjoy what great art has to offer.

Great Line:

“Nothing much to say I guess

Just the same as all the rest

Been tryin’ to throw your arms around the world

And a woman needs a man

Like a fish needs a bicycle

When you’re tryin’ to throw your arms around the world”

10. Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (1993)

Not only is this one of the U2 members’ favourite song, but it is also my personal favourite as well, and I only ever came across it because a past coworker of mine annoyed me with its lyrics for months on end. At nineteen years of age, I spent half of my summer nights grinding twelve-hour shifts until three in the morning on the butter production line of a renowned cheese industry. We were four working on the line, and two of them happened to think themselves professional vocalists, much to my dismay. At two in the morning, while the Mexican mariachi singer was busy belting out the incorrect lyrics to whatever song was on his mind, Italian man Tony would simultaneously sing “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)”, and the harsh constant screeching emerging from the machines is what thankfully helped me keep my sanity. After quitting my job, many months later, I wound up hearing the track in my father’s car and ultimately came to appreciate Tony’s admiration for this song, going so far as to place it at the very top of my most cherished U2 songs. It is a slowed-down 90’s alternative rock ballad that proved the band capable of still writing gorgeous music.

Great Line:

“If I could stay, then the night would give you up

Stay, and the day would keep its trust

Stay, and the night would be enough”

11. Walk On (2000)

The release of All That You Can’t Leave Behind serves somewhat as that line that should be drawn with respect to what made a band like U2 so critically acclaimed and what propelled them into that inescapable commercialism that might have some listeners forever roll their eyes. As much as my older sister and I very much enjoy songs like “Beautiful Day” and “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out of”, my father and his two brothers, who grew up worshipping the band in their teenage years, repeatedly affirm they would never place either of those songs in their top 50 U2 songs of all time, and I can understand why. By this point, U2 attempted once again to reestablish themselves as a relevant group within the emerging decade, but contrary to the groundbreaking achievements found on Achtung Baby, they instead opted for radio-friendly hits, which isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world. It’s just not what they should be remembered for. Nonetheless, this album proved highly successful, and I still believe there to be some decent work in it, like “Walk On”, inspired by Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi who fought for freedom at the end of the 20th century.

Great Line:

“And if the darkness is to keep us apart

And if the daylight feels like it’s a long way off

And if your glass heart should crack

And for a second you turn back

Oh no, be strong”

12. City of Blinding Lights (2004)

By this point, U2 had become one of the most commercial bands of the time, and their artistic relevance in comparison to other emerging acts felt wholly nonexistent to be brutally honest. That’s not to say commercial tracks cannot be fun. On the contrary, there are many catchy radio songs I’ll listen to and have absolutely no shame about. “I Love it” by Icona Pop? Bring it on; I can feed on that every day for the rest of my life and not get bored. However, catchy radio songs should not constitute anything about which to be immensely impressed, and their likeability is all a matter of opinion more than anything. For example, I detest “Vertigo” by U2 with a passion and find that song utterly ridiculous, especially when Bono chants “Hello, hello” to which the band members reply with “Hola”. What in God’s name is that? Anyhow, I added a post-2000’s U2 song on the list to emphasize that even within their most commercial period, I’m certain one can still find a few songs worth listening to. I personally love “City of Blinding Lights”, and I’m sure one can find a song within this era that they absolutely love as well.

Great Line:

“And I miss you when you’re not around

I’m getting ready to leave the ground

Oh, you look so beautiful tonight

In the city of blinding lights”

BONUS:

1. “The Electric Co.”

2. “Gloria”

3. “40”

4. “Pride (In the Name of Love)”

5. “Where the Streets Have No Name”

6. “In God’s Country”

7. “Desire”

8. “One”

9. “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”

10. “The Sweetest Thing”

Disclaimer: The original version of this story was published on another platform. Link to original version: https://medium.com/@gabriele_delbusso/essentials-by-the-dozen-u2-in-12-tracks-379303466af1